Actually, the game wouldn't start in "editor" mode (what it does now), so it would probably be a lot easier to get into it!

Regarding Swing: I used toggle buttons that create & show the corresponding panels. Nothing too fancy. As far as graphics go, I decided to create a custom look & feel and used images for certain parts such as panel borders. The look & feel turned out really easy by the way. If you use Swing, simply use the standard components JButton, JPanel, JLabel etc. and after change the corresponding ButtonUI, PanelUI etc. classes. I can post some look & feel code if anyone is interested? The documentation by Sun is extremely weak , but as it turns out, it's not difficult to get it up and running either.

My problem lies not so much with the technical side (I hope) but more with the game play in general! It's a multiplayer city simulation. What does that mean? I want to do it turn-based. How can you make a turn-based, multiplayer, city simulation? Any interesting ideas? I think it looks somewhat cool now. But I have a programmer's block however on how to continue

Yes it is interesting even though Swing isn't thread safe. It would be more interesting if you released all the source code on my view, your code could be reused in other projects, you don't imagine what it could permit. The look&feel of your game is impressive, thin, really beautiful, like a professional application in some aspects. Even the software on which I have programmed at work (which has plenty of windows, panels, menus, sub menus...) has a "flat" appearance in comparison with your game. I hope the full GUI of your game will be so well-kept.

My problem lies not so much with the technical side (I hope) but more with the game play in general! It's a multiplayer city simulation. What does that mean? I want to do it turn-based. How can you make a turn-based, multiplayer, city simulation? Any interesting ideas? I think it looks somewhat cool now. But I have a programmer's block however on how to continue

perhaps you make you choices about what you want to happen - raise taxes, lay out some plans for new buildings etc then the buildings get built in real time, but you can only make changes again the next day or whatever amount of time. just an idea anyway.

Everything worked great for me, i had no problems with the scrolling of the map, it scrolled along nice and smooth.

I was able to start a map, and then build roads and mines and things around.

To make it a multiplayer city simulation, you would need some sort of competition against other cities. Heh, without going for the old "build an army and kill the other cities" i dont really have any ideas in terms of making multiplayer have any point to it.

@Multiplayer idea:Limited resources per map that need to be exchanged for further city grow.Random events like festivals, theme parks, etc which will be offered to all cities and the player who reaches the event goals first will get that event for his city.Neighbor attraction buildings to make the others ppl move into your city.

My short suggestion for this game:All playes play on the same map, where there is a little village in the start. This village is owned by "the computer" players can bid on land. The highest bidder wins and can build on this land what he wants. Some pieces of the map have a higher start price for the bidding while other have a market driven price. Players can earn money by renting out the houses they build, selling the gas they mined, or even selling their propperty to another player.

I have this thought out a little better inside my head, but no time to type it out, if you are interrested, I will try to see if can make time to type it out further.

Give a man a fire and he is warm for a day, set a man on fire and he is warm for the rest of his live.

I am aware it's somewhat difficult to understand, so please read through the basic description below. Also note, some of the graphics are still missing (don't get confused).

Comments?

Basic Instructions:

Quote

When you start the game via link from above, you find yourself in the EDITOR mode! It's designed to add/remove players as well as to create scenarios etc.

Press the "Test" button to enter the GAME mode. Once you are in the game mode, the game has started :---) Here is how it goes:0) buy land to build ona) obviously your goal is to build a town and MAKE moneyb) add housing for people to live inc) add structures that generate electric & waterd) add structures that produce/mine itemse) add headquarters which will manage the item flowf) add structures to sell foods & goods back to the peopleg) link the structures together via headquarters (otherwise noitems will be transported)h) don't forget streets, so people can actually go to work, items canbe transported and people can shop.

I pretty much implemented the city/world dynamics already! The goal is to keep the ITEMs flowing. If you do it right, you will make more money selling items than it will cost you to produce them. There is a "finance panel" where you can see your item input/output. It also shows other income/expenses. Please note, although the system works, it needs LOTS of tweaking still. Sorry, it's not finished yet.

Hey, you've done a good job! It really playable. Takes a while to get everything going and resources are way too high, but it's fun.

It's very hard to make money if you want to have all your people occupied. If you don't care about unemployed people you can make money easily. Having 20.000 people and just 2.000 jobs you make millions every days . . . that's where the tuning could start . . .